Cairsty DePasquale, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Biology
Penn State Altoona
207 Hawthorn Building
3000 Ivyside Park
Penn State Altoona
PA 16601
Email: [email protected]
My research focuses on trying to understand the roles the environment and physical activity play in mediating the connection between the brain and behavior in fish, primarily using zebrafish as a model organism. I am interested in understanding the impact of physical activity and the environment on fish cognition from a welfare and biomedical perspective, but also from an ecological multilevel perspective, spanning cellular and molecular organization to whole organism through to communities. My research is interdisciplinary; it draws from animal behavior, neuroscience and physiology to investigate factors that have an effect on behavioral flexibility and cognition. A better understanding of how behavior is modified by the environment, and how this correlates with mechanistic changes in the brain, helps us assess the impact of natural and anthropogenic environmental change in wild as well as captive animals.
Beta Beta Beta: The National Biology Honors Society (Tribeta) and Biology Club
Dr. DePasquale is the Faculty Advisor for the PSU-Altoona Chapter of Tribeta and PSU-Altoona Biology Club. If you are a student and are interested in joining Tribeta or Bio Club, please get in touch with Dr. DePasquale! You can find out more about Tribeta here!
Recent Press
Penn State News: Researching zebrafish may lead to understanding impact of exercise on the brain
Recent Publications
(undergraduate authors underlined)
Miller, S., Leri, F., Pushinsky, A., Franks, B., DePasquale, C., & Braithwaite, V. 2023. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) distinguish between two human caretakers and their associated roles within a captive environment. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 267.
Ahlbeck Bergendahl, I, DePasquale, C, Salvanes, AGV. 2022. Fish learning and memory. Encyclopedia of Fish Physiology, Second Edition, Eds. Sarah Alderman and Todd Gillis. Elsevier.
DePasquale, C, K Franklin, Z Jia, K Jhaveri, FE Buderman. 2022. The effects of exploratory behavior on physical activity in a common animal model of human disease, zebrafish (Danio rerio). Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 16:1020837.
DePasquale, C, N Kemerer, N White, M Yost, J Wolfkill, X Li. 2021. The Influence of an Enriched Environment in Enhancing Recognition Memory in Zebrafish (Danio rerio). Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2021.749746
DePasquale, C, X Li, M Harold, S Mueller, S McLaren, C Mahan. 2020. Selection for increased cranial capacity in small mammals during a century of urbanization. Journal of Mammalogy, 101(6): 1706-1710.
DePasquale, C, J Sturgill, VA Braithwaite. 2020. A Standardized Protocol for Preference Testing to Assess Fish Welfare. JoVE, Doi: 10.3791/60674.
DePasquale, C, P Armstrong, X Li. 2020. The influence of enrichment on spatial pattern separation in zebrafish (Danio rerio). BIOS, 9(1): 31-41.
DePasquale, C, S Fettrow, J Sturgill, VA Braithwaite. 2019. The impact of flow and physical enrichment on preferences in zebrafish. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 215: 77-81.
DePasquale, C, J Leri. 2018. The influence of exercise on anxiety-like behavior in zebrafish (Danio rerio). Behavioural Processes, 57: 638-644.
Ahlbeck Bergendahl, I, S Miller, C DePasquale, L Giralico, VA Braithwaite. 2017. Becoming a better swimmer: structural complexity enhances agility in captive-reared fish. Journal of Fish Biology, 90 (3): 1112-1117.
DePasquale, C, T Neuberger, A Hirrlinger, VA Braithwaite. 2016. The influence of complex and threatening environments in early life on brain size and behaviour. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 283 (1823): DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2015.2564.
DePasquale, C, T Wagner, GA Archard, B Ferguson, VA Braithwaite. 2014. Learning rate and temperament in a high predation risk environment. Oecologia, 176:661-667.
Grassie, C, VA Braithwaite, J Nilsson, TO Nilsen, H-C Teien, SO Handeland, SO Stefansson, V Tronci, M Gorissen, G Flik, LOE Ebbesson. 2013. Aluminum exposure impacts brain plasticity and behavior in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). Journal of Experimental Biology, 216: 3146-3155.
Associate Professor of Biology
Penn State Altoona
207 Hawthorn Building
3000 Ivyside Park
Penn State Altoona
PA 16601
Email: [email protected]
My research focuses on trying to understand the roles the environment and physical activity play in mediating the connection between the brain and behavior in fish, primarily using zebrafish as a model organism. I am interested in understanding the impact of physical activity and the environment on fish cognition from a welfare and biomedical perspective, but also from an ecological multilevel perspective, spanning cellular and molecular organization to whole organism through to communities. My research is interdisciplinary; it draws from animal behavior, neuroscience and physiology to investigate factors that have an effect on behavioral flexibility and cognition. A better understanding of how behavior is modified by the environment, and how this correlates with mechanistic changes in the brain, helps us assess the impact of natural and anthropogenic environmental change in wild as well as captive animals.
Beta Beta Beta: The National Biology Honors Society (Tribeta) and Biology Club
Dr. DePasquale is the Faculty Advisor for the PSU-Altoona Chapter of Tribeta and PSU-Altoona Biology Club. If you are a student and are interested in joining Tribeta or Bio Club, please get in touch with Dr. DePasquale! You can find out more about Tribeta here!
Recent Press
Penn State News: Researching zebrafish may lead to understanding impact of exercise on the brain
Recent Publications
(undergraduate authors underlined)
Miller, S., Leri, F., Pushinsky, A., Franks, B., DePasquale, C., & Braithwaite, V. 2023. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) distinguish between two human caretakers and their associated roles within a captive environment. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 267.
Ahlbeck Bergendahl, I, DePasquale, C, Salvanes, AGV. 2022. Fish learning and memory. Encyclopedia of Fish Physiology, Second Edition, Eds. Sarah Alderman and Todd Gillis. Elsevier.
DePasquale, C, K Franklin, Z Jia, K Jhaveri, FE Buderman. 2022. The effects of exploratory behavior on physical activity in a common animal model of human disease, zebrafish (Danio rerio). Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 16:1020837.
DePasquale, C, N Kemerer, N White, M Yost, J Wolfkill, X Li. 2021. The Influence of an Enriched Environment in Enhancing Recognition Memory in Zebrafish (Danio rerio). Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2021.749746
DePasquale, C, X Li, M Harold, S Mueller, S McLaren, C Mahan. 2020. Selection for increased cranial capacity in small mammals during a century of urbanization. Journal of Mammalogy, 101(6): 1706-1710.
DePasquale, C, J Sturgill, VA Braithwaite. 2020. A Standardized Protocol for Preference Testing to Assess Fish Welfare. JoVE, Doi: 10.3791/60674.
DePasquale, C, P Armstrong, X Li. 2020. The influence of enrichment on spatial pattern separation in zebrafish (Danio rerio). BIOS, 9(1): 31-41.
DePasquale, C, S Fettrow, J Sturgill, VA Braithwaite. 2019. The impact of flow and physical enrichment on preferences in zebrafish. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 215: 77-81.
DePasquale, C, J Leri. 2018. The influence of exercise on anxiety-like behavior in zebrafish (Danio rerio). Behavioural Processes, 57: 638-644.
Ahlbeck Bergendahl, I, S Miller, C DePasquale, L Giralico, VA Braithwaite. 2017. Becoming a better swimmer: structural complexity enhances agility in captive-reared fish. Journal of Fish Biology, 90 (3): 1112-1117.
DePasquale, C, T Neuberger, A Hirrlinger, VA Braithwaite. 2016. The influence of complex and threatening environments in early life on brain size and behaviour. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 283 (1823): DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2015.2564.
DePasquale, C, T Wagner, GA Archard, B Ferguson, VA Braithwaite. 2014. Learning rate and temperament in a high predation risk environment. Oecologia, 176:661-667.
Grassie, C, VA Braithwaite, J Nilsson, TO Nilsen, H-C Teien, SO Handeland, SO Stefansson, V Tronci, M Gorissen, G Flik, LOE Ebbesson. 2013. Aluminum exposure impacts brain plasticity and behavior in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). Journal of Experimental Biology, 216: 3146-3155.
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